The veteran politician told the House of Lords: “People ought to know that if they stuff themselves silly with high-calorie rubbish foods they will get fat.

“It’s their responsibility and all the forums and other nonsenses are merely trying to divorce people from the consequences of their own stupid actions.”

“People ought to know that if they stuff themselves silly with high-calorie rubbish foods they will get fat”

Norman Tebbit

Health Minister Earl Howe agreed with him, saying: “You are absolutely right to place your finger on this central point that it is in the end up to individuals to take responsibility for their own state of health.”

Lord Tebbit – known as “the Chingford Skinhead” when he was lampoon-ed by TV’s Spitting Image while he served in Margaret Thatcher’s Government – got laughs on both sides of the house.

Tory former surgeon Lord McColl spoke of a letter being sent to all peers and MPs “asking them to measure their waist and make sure it is less than half their height”.

Pointing to ­Labour benches, he mocked: “That would apply to quite a few members over there who are clearly eating too much.”